Fremont
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Description: Mission Peak shares a ridgeline with Monument Peak and Mt. Allison, which are all between 2500 and 2600 ft. in elevation and within two miles of each other. Mission is the only of the three without radio towers on top. There are two trails up Mission Peak, both are approximately 3.5 mile sustained climbs that are very, very steep. This park is one of the most popular hikes in the Bay Area, sometimes getting over 2000 hikers on a weekend day. The difficult steepness of the trails makes the park less attractive to cyclists.
Approach #1 The easiest approach begins in the upper parking lots of Ohlone College at 600 foot elevation on the Peak Trail. The Peak Trail contains the only single track in the park. This route ends at the intersection with the Ohlone Trail. Total of 1900 feet of elevation gain.
Approach #2 The more difficult approach starts at the Stanford Ave. parking lot at 300 foot elevation and ascends on the Ohlone Trail. 2200 feet of elevation gain. The Ohlone Trail is graveled most of the way and extremely popular with day hikers.
The last elevation gain to the summit of Mission Peak is via footpaths that are closed to bikes, one to the north and one to the south of the peak. If you choose to walk to the top of the peak, the path on the North side, which 99% of the hikers take, starts at the 2000 foot level and climbs 520 feet. The path on the south side starts at 2200 feet, climbs 320 feet, and is not as steep. Our recommended Big Ride ends at the entrance to the south footpath to the Mission Peak summit. Monument Peak is accessible via a 2 mile long trail along the top of the ridge, skirting radio tower laden Mt. Allison along the way. A separate trail descends from Monument peak into Milpitas. If you ride down off Monument Peak, be prepared to ride 7 miles of busy streets to return to the Stanford Ave. parking lot or Ohlone College.
There are restrooms at the Stanford Ave parking lot, at the 1800 foot level where approaches 1 and 2 meet, and at the backpacker’s campground on the East (back) side of Mission Peak at the 2100 foot level on Eagle Trail.
In the wet season: Trails are open and ridable.
Directions: Mission Blvd Exit from I680. (There are two Mission blvd. exits, take the southern one). Right off Mission Blvd into Ohlone College. A link to the parking location for the 1000 footer in Google Maps is here. Or right on Stanford Ave for the Big Ride. Lot at end. This small lot fills very early every day but alternative parking is available in the adjacent neighborhood. A link to the parking location for the Big Ride in Google Maps is here.